The RPS Bargain Bucket: Frozen-satche

And I am freshly returned from Iceland, more or less intact. The foul weather only cost a single toe, although the locals were happy to replace it with a puffin claw. As such things go, it could have been worse – and I’m thrilled to discover all the world’s gaming sales didn’t cease during my absence. Enjoy this week’s Bargain Bucket and also this dapper plushie from dosbox!

All Stars Bundle$2.99/£2.41/€3.32
“All the big-hitters in one bundle,” declares the text for the All-Stars Bundle. It’s pretty accurate, as long as you’re not the type who fancies-slash-needs different iterations of Call of Duty in their bundles. The line-up requires little introduction, really. System Shock 2 is an excellent piece of old-school horror, To The Moon will melt even the most cynical heart, and Tropico 4 shows how dictatorship needn’t always be an awful — what am I saying? Okay. Anyway. You’ll like this bundle if you don’t own it already.

Scribblenauts Unlimited + Scribblenauts Unmasked$2.46/£1.66/€2.26
I remember the first time I heard about Scribblenauts long, long ago. It sounded impossible. Who didn’t want to be able to make their every word turn into reality? Of course, the actual game itself wasn’t quite as stunningly freeform but that didn’t stop it, or the series itself, from being absolutely charming. On the off-chance you don’t know what I’m talking about, Scribblenauts Unlimited puts you in the role of a child named Maxwell. Armed with a magical notebook, he must rush along an open world seeking Starites in a bid to save his little sister. A bit of a pedestrian-sounding tale, really, but it offers the perfect excuse to randomly conjure ladders and cats and monsters oh my. As for Unmasked, it’s essentially the same deal except with chibi superheroes.

Alien: Isolation$11.88/£7.99/€10.91
I keep championing Alien: Isolation, but the truth is that game scares the colors out of pyjamas. Actually, that’s why I keep waving it at you guys like a prize carrot. It’s great. It’s definitely not Colonial Marines, which I loathe. It exults in the idea of a xenomorph: that it is a bigger, stronger, faster, more terrible thing that anything humanity can possibly conjure. As opposed to, you know, turning them into cannon fodder. Lonely and eerie, though possibly too long at intervals, it is a bleak, taut ride through the bowels of a spaceship as you seek to escape an insatiable demon of the science-fiction genre. (Don’t forget the #FUNISHOT code for maximum awesome. That cuts another 20% from the listed price.)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Legendary Edition$13.59/£6.79/€10.19
It’s, hm, it’s out of keys. One has to wonder how you run out of virtual keys, but apparently this is a thing. Either way, as long as you don’t mind waiting till the March 31st, this discount is still a thing. Words fail to describe the amount of love people have poured into the latest Elder Scrolls game. It’s bubbling over with mods, with fan-made expansions, with different ways to customize and streamline an already expansive experience. Like everything else, it’s probably not going to be the end-all RPG for everyone (Pillars of Eternity? Now that’s something else entirely) but it’d certainly make a few of you bargain-watchers rather happy. As always, do not forget the requisite code. JBTBG5-7GVTE8-W2YXRV

Also of note:

BioShock Triple Pack – $11.89/£7.47/€11.89
Love them, hate them, have exceedingly strong opinions on them. The BioShock franchise is, if nothing else, polarizing. They make you Feel. What kind of emotions is, of course, entirely dependent on how well the setting and the story jives with you. I’m a big fan of the first two games, and have somewhat mixed opinions on the third. Which is interesting, but very much tonally different. (Also, the source of endless controversy, if the Internet is to be believed.) As always, there’s a code: 22SLIC-KDEALS-EXCLUS

Be Mine 18 – Pay $4.00/£2.69/€3.67 for everything!
What a curious little bundle. As always, Groupees bewilders with the eccentricity of its selection. Most of the bundles are invariably made up of things that I haven’t even heard of. And that, inversely, gives it a backalley rockstar quality in my eyes. I like Inquisitor, flawed as it may be, and Forest of Doom absolutely delights. Aaru’s Awakening also looks absolutely gorgeous, although I haven’t the foggiest if it handles as well as it plays on the optical implants.

Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition – $6.50/£4.36/€5.95
Responses to the Tomb Raider were mixed, between those that liked Lara Croft’s new origin story to those who bristled at the linearity and unnerving death sequences. In any case, it seems at least a solid reimagining of an iconic series – and this price isn’t bad if you’re considering getting onboard with the recently announced (and timed XBone exclusive) sequel.